March 31, 2014 by RVBusiness · Comments Off on KOA’s Doug Mulvaney is Named NFPA Chairman

Doug Mulvaney, director of facilities development for Kampgrounds of America Inc. (KOA), has been named chairman of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Recreational Vehicle Committee (REC-AAA).
According to a press release, the committee is responsible for the revisions to two standards documents, NFPA 1192 and NFPA 1194. The committee oversees changes to standards for recreational vehicles, as well as for RV parks and campgrounds throughout the U.S.
Mulvaney has been with KOA for the... Read more

Platinum Award
Wiley Metal Fabricating Inc. recently received a Platinum Award from Wabash National Corp. in recognition of its excellence in supply chain performance delivery, quality, cost and innovation.
According to a press release, Wabash National recognized Wiley Metal Fabricating and other top suppliers with awards for exceptional performance to help meet customer needs at its 2013 annual supplier conference held at its Ehrlich Innovation Center. Nearly 350 people attended the event, including... Read more

Jim and Judy Fogdall no longer own and operate an RV dealership, but they are still a vital part of the industry, contributing $4,000 to the Mike Molino RV Learning Center. According to a press release, the Fogdalls’ donation fuels this year’s campaign to continue funding critical education and training resources for dealers and their staff. The annual fundraising effort ensures that the Learning Center can maintain high standards, keep pace with technology and meet dealers’ educational needs.
In... Read more

March 31, 2014 by RVBusiness · Comments Off on Stag Names Stephens Canadian Sales Consultant

Brian Stephens
Stag-Parkway has named Brian Stephens as its new outside sales consultant for Canada. According to a press release, Stephens joined the Atlanta-based distributor on March 17.
Stag reported that the majority of Stephens’ career has been with Fleetwood Canada Ltd. in Lindsay, Ontario, where he served as assistant production manager, assistant sales manager and district sales manager. After the closure of Fleetwood in 2007, Stephens continued to expand his industry experience... Read more

March 31, 2014 by RVBusiness · Comments Off on RV Power Breakfast Registration goes Live Today!

Despite an epic winter that hampered business nationwide, the U.S. RV arena has exhibited an incredible resilience – a fact that was underscored by the Recreation Vehicle Industry Association (RVIA) recently reporting the best February for wholesale shipments in eight years.
Unemployment in the RV-building hub around Elkhart, Ind., likewise, has settled in at 6.2%, the lowest rate since May of 2008 and a far cry from the 20%-plus levels that brought President Obama and the national press to town... Read more

Dometic Corp., a leading supplier to the recreational vehicle and marine industries, is partnering with Kampgrounds of America Inc. (KOA) to provide a complete line of RV and camping products at KOA campground locations across North America.
“Our goal was to become more relevant to camping customers,” said Mark Minatel, vice president of after markets for Dometic. “We wanted to be where the campers are, so of course we came to KOA.”
Dometic, KOA display case
Soon, campers will be able to... Read more

March 31, 2014 by RVBusiness · Comments Off on RVDA of Canada Examines New Ethnic Consumer

The Recreation Vehicle Dealers Association (RVDA) of Canada’s national Education and HR Committee has developed a two-part webinar series with Diversity Trainers Plus on the changing face of the RV industry clientele and the new ethnic consumer.
According to a report in RVDA of Canada’s latest e-bulletin, the first webinar examines immigration trends and the opportunities available outside of your current European-centric RV clientele base. The second webinar explores four strategies on... Read more

Editor’s Note: The following is a column authored by Chuck Woodbury, editor of RVtravel.com, announcing the completion of a new studio designed for producing RV consumer-oriented videos for use on YouTube. RVBUSINESS.com will be running a selection of RVtravel.com’s latest videos as a regular feature on the site. To access the videos scroll down the right side of the RVBUSINESS.com home page to the VIDEO 3 slot.
It’s a busy time around the RVtravel.com offices. We’re moving!... Read more

March 31, 2014 by RVBusiness · Comments Off on Blue Ox Mines Military Segment During Downturn

Jay Hesse
When the national recession almost drove Blue Ox’s recreational vehicle business over a cliff, the Northeast Nebraska manufacturer looked for ways to diversify. Last year, that road took the company to the U.S. military as it sought to adapt its technology and craftsmanship to military vehicles.
As reported by the Sioux City Journal, the small family business is known internationally for its line of towing products, such as hitches used to haul trailers behind RVs. But after the boom... Read more

March 31, 2014 by RVBusiness · Comments Off on Forest River Acquiring Startrans Shuttle Bus Unit

Forest River Inc. announced the acquisition of certain assets of the Startrans Bus division from Supreme Industries Inc. According to a news release, Startrans Bus is a major builder of small to midsize shuttle buses for both the public and private transportation markets in the U.S.
Forest River’s latest acquisition will be manufactured in one of their 100,000 square-foot plants in Goshen, Ind. David Wright, president of the new Startrans Bus division, noted, “Production of Startrans buses will... Read more

RV/MH Hall of Fame
The RV/MH Hall of Fame’s annual Induction Dinner honoring the Class of 2014 will be Aug. 4 at the Hall of Fame’s Event Center in Elkhart, Ind.
“Our 2014 Induction Dinner committee chairman, Mark Wasson (Bluelinx Corp.), has some exciting new ideas for this year’s program and I encourage all the friends of this year’s inductees and industry members to make their reservations early,” , said Darryl Searer, president, RV/MH Hall of Fame, in a press... Read more

Elkhart, Ind.-based ASA Electronics, an international manufacturer and supplier of RV audio and video electronics and appliances, announced the appointment of Jim Holtsberry as the senior ERP programmer and analyst.
According to a press release, Holtsberry brings decades of experience to the ASA IT department. He initially started programming as a hobbyist in 1976, but transitioned to a professional programmer in 1984. He graduated from Tri-State University in 1983 with a bachelor’s in computer... Read more

March 31, 2014 by RVBusiness · Comments Off on GCT Releases First Photos of CR-1 Carbon Trailer

GCT’s CR-1 Carbon rear lounge
Speedway, Ind.-based Global Caravan Technologies Inc. (GCT), a luxury RV and specialty vehicle innovator, has released the first interior photos of its new CR-1 Carbon travel trailer.
According to a news release, the CR-1 Carbon interior features a custom leather wrapped ceiling, with private jet-type leather soft-touch walls and residential furnishings that are at the “top end of luxury” in the RV industry. “We sought the most stringent requirements... Read more

March 29, 2014 by RVBusiness · Comments Off on Lippert Interiors Unit Moving to Old Cequent Site

Lippert Components Inc. is breathing new life into the Goshen, Ind., facility vacated last year by Cequent Performance Products.
As reported by the Elkhart Truth, Lippert is consolidating its “interiors” division, which makes mattresses and furniture for the RV industry, into the 366,000-square-foot building that Cequent vacated last year when the company moved local operations to Mexico.
The new building, known as “Plant 50,” will house furniture and mattress production... Read more

The midsize transit bus business is in a good zone right now, said Michael DeMarco, national sales manager for Ameritrans Bus of Elkhart, Ind.
The South Bend Tribune reported that the manufacturer and distributor of small to midsize buses announced plans Friday to expand its operations in Elkhart, creating up to 35 new jobs by 2017.
The Elkhart business, which was acquired by Faribault, Minn.-based ABC Companies in 2012, will invest $429,384 to renovate and equip its new 50,000-plus-square-foot... Read more